Why is the elite pool of strikers ever shrinking?

#4 Work rate, physicality and fitness

Dimitar Berbatov’s languid style of play wouldn’t have many takers among many current managers

Back to Sturridge and Aguero now – their woes serve to depict clearly the struggles of a specialised penalty box poacher. A striker is so much more than a goal scorer today – asked to drop deep, run into the channels, press the centre-backs, hold the ball up and bring teammates into play – and all this while leading the line on his own.

All of this demands exceptional work rate, perhaps even at the expense of talent – and not every day does a Luis Suarez come along; an ingeniously talented workhorse.

Many of the strikers who were celebrated in their day – Robbie Fowler, Dimitar Berbatov and the like – would have been looked upon with far less forgiving eyes by a modern manager.